Popular history
Ranjit Singh: Maharaja of the Punjab
A readable biography of the founder of the Sikh Empire.
Sikh Empire
1799 – 1849
Map layer: Empires & Regional Powers
Maharaja Ranjit Singh's empire in Punjab, annexed by the British in 1849.
Who ruled when
Move along the chart to see which powers existed in any year; click a bar for its page, or empty space to open the map.
Main polities of this period
| Name | Type | Span | Region | Capital |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sikh Empire ★ | Empire | 1799 – 1849 | North | Lahore |
| Sikh Misls | Confederacy | 1748 – 1799 | North | Amritsar |
Also existing during this period
Holkar State (Indore)
Central · 1731 – 1948
Scindia State (Gwalior)
Central · 1731 – 1948
Bhonsles of Nagpur
Central · 1739 – 1853
Portuguese Estado da Índia
Coastal · 1505 – 1961
Portuguese Diu
Coastal · 1535 – 1961
Portuguese Daman
Coastal · 1559 – 1961
Dutch East India Company (VOC) in India
Coastal · 1605 – 1825
Dutch Coromandel (Pulicat)
Coastal · 1610 – 1825
Danish India
Coastal · 1620 – 1869
Danish Tranquebar
Coastal · 1620 – 1845
Fort St George, Madras
Coastal · 1639 – 1858
Dutch Chinsurah
Coastal · 1656 – 1825
French India
Coastal · 1668 – 1954
Bombay (English East India Company)
Coastal · 1668 – 1858
Chandernagore
Coastal · 1673 – 1950
Pondichéry
Coastal · 1674 – 1954
Mahé
Coastal · 1721 – 1954
Yanam
Coastal · 1731 – 1954
Karaikal
Coastal · 1739 – 1954
Danish Serampore
Coastal · 1755 – 1845
Maratha Empire
Deccan · 1674 – 1818
Hyderabad State (Nizams)
Deccan · 1724 – 1948
Awadh (Nawabs of Oudh)
Gangetic Plain · 1722 – 1856
Bhutan under the Zhabdrung (Druk Desi)
Himalaya · 1616 – 1907
Kingdom of Nepal — expansion era
Himalaya · 1768 – 1816
Kingdom of Nepal
Himalaya · 1816 – 2008
Sultanate of the Maldives
Islands · c. 1153 – 1968
Mughal Empire
North · 1526 – 1857
Jat Kingdom of Bharatpur
North · 1722 – 1947
Ahom Kingdom
Northeast · 1228 – 1826
Koch Kingdom (Kamata / Cooch Behar)
Northeast · 1515 – 1949
Durrani Empire
Northwest · 1747 – 1823
Emirate of Afghanistan
Northwest · 1823 – 1926
British East India Company
Pan-Indian · 1600 – 1858
Kingdom of Mysore
South · 1399 – 1950
Carnatic (Nawabs of Arcot)
South · 1692 – 1855
Travancore
South · 1729 – 1949
Kingdom of Kandy
Sri Lanka · c. 1469 – 1815
British Ceylon
Sri Lanka · 1796 – 1948
Kachwahas of Amber (Jaipur)
West · c. 1128 – 1949
Marwar (Rathore)
West · c. 1226 – 1949
Mewar (Sisodia)
West · 1326 – 1949
Gaekwad State (Baroda)
West · 1721 – 1949
Events
| Year | Event | Polity |
|---|---|---|
| 1799 | Fall of Srirangapatna Tipu Sultan was killed and the Wodeyars were restored as Company allies. |
Kingdom of Mysore |
| 1799 | Ranjit Singh takes Lahore | Sikh Empire |
| 1802 | Treaty of Bassein Peshwa Baji Rao II accepted the Subsidiary Alliance. |
Maratha Empire |
| 1803 | Battle of Assaye Arthur Wellesley defeated the combined Scindia and Bhonsle armies. |
British East India Company |
| 1803 | British capture Delhi The Mughal emperor came under British protection. |
British East India Company |
| 1806 | Vellore mutiny | British East India Company |
| 1809 | Treaty of Amritsar fixes the Sutlej frontier Ranjit Singh agreed not to expand south of the Sutlej. |
Sikh Empire |
| 1814 | Anglo-Nepal War: siege of Nalapani The Gorkha garrison under Balbhadra Kunwar held out before withdrawing. |
Kingdom of Nepal — expansion era |
| 1815 | Kandyan Convention The Kandyan kingdom ended and all Sri Lanka came under British rule. |
Kingdom of Kandy |
| 1816 | Treaty of Sugauli Nepal ceded Kumaon, Garhwal and the Terai and accepted a British resident. |
Kingdom of Nepal |
| 1817 | Battle of Khadki The Peshwa's army was defeated near Pune. |
Maratha Empire |
| 1818 | Third Anglo-Maratha War ends The Peshwa's territories were annexed and the Company became the paramount power. |
Maratha Empire |
| 1824 | Kittur revolt against the Company Rani Chennamma won an early victory but was captured in a second assault. |
|
| 1826 | Treaty of Yandabo Burma ceded Assam, Manipur, Arakan and Tenasserim to the Company. |
Ahom Kingdom |
| 1828 | Brahmo Samaj founded | British East India Company |
| 1829 | Sati abolished | British East India Company |
| 1835 | English Education Act | British East India Company |
| 1839 | Death of Maharaja Ranjit Singh | Sikh Empire |
| 1839 | First Anglo-Afghan War begins Shah Shuja was installed in Kabul, but British forces were destroyed in 1842. |
Emirate of Afghanistan |
| 1842 | British retreat from Kabul Almost the entire retreating British column was annihilated. |
Emirate of Afghanistan |
| 1843 | Annexation of Sindh Sindh was annexed after the Battle of Miani. |
British East India Company |
| 1845 | First Anglo-Sikh War The Sikhs ceded the Jullundur Doab and paid an indemnity. |
Sikh Empire |
| 1846 | Jammu & Kashmir granted to Gulab Singh The Dogra-ruled princely state of Jammu and Kashmir was created. |
|
| 1846 | Kot massacre; Rana rule begins in Nepal Jung Bahadur Rana seized power and Rana prime ministers ruled for 104 years. |
Kingdom of Nepal |
| 1848 | Doctrine of Lapse applied to Satara Satara was annexed because its ruler died without a natural heir. |
British East India Company |
| 1849 | Punjab annexed The Sikh Empire ended and Maharaja Duleep Singh was pensioned off. |
British East India Company |
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